A vehicle (e.g., an automobile) may include a vehicle diagnostic system (e.g., an on-board diagnostic (OBD) system or an OBD II system). A data collection device can connect to the vehicle diagnostic system (e.g., via a serial connection port, such as an OBD port, an OBD II port, or the like) to collect vehicle data and provide the vehicle data to a client server (e.g., to process the vehicle data to track vehicle maintenance, perform vehicle troubleshooting, determine auto insurance rates based on driving habits, etc.). Communications between the data collection device and the diagnostic systems, while the vehicle is powered off, can cause operational interferences (e.g., interference that may prevent the vehicle from starting, cause the vehicle's battery to drain, and/or cause the vehicle's indicators/dash lights and/or other systems to behave erratically).